White House Asks Communities to Simplify Small Business Licensing

The White House and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have challenged cities across America to join the first Startup in a Day Initiative, designed to reduce the amount of “red-tape” that often inhibits entrepreneurs from navigating the permitting and licensing application processes.

The initiative asks municipalities to establish online permitting resources that allow entrepreneurs to apply for all necessary new business permits and licenses in 24 hours or less.

“Success in this endeavor will free up entrepreneurs to spend their precious time developing their products, finding new customers, and growing their enterprises – rather than wading through red tape,” said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet in a statement posted online.

Today’s citizens are accustomed to having the world at their fingertips. According to a survey conducted by Accenture last November, two-thirds of citizens would prefer to complete government transactions electronically, but only 27% reported satisfaction with government digital services.

So far, eleven major cities including San Francisco, Boston, and Washington DC have resolved to meet the requirements of the Startup in a Day Pledge, which consists of creating an online tool allowing entrepreneurs to meet new business requirements within a day.

The initiative comes at a time when it’s never been easier for communities big and small to offer online permitting and licensing for their constituents. With the ViewPoint Cloud platform, dozens of municipalities across the country will soon join Washington in empowering entrepreneurs by making it easy to get the services they need.

“This initiative sends a clear signal that every community in America can make conscious decisions to encourage economic growth,” said Alex Pajusi, ViewPoint’s Director of Innovation. “With ViewPoint Cloud, those decisions become realistic even for communities who are just starting to embrace online services.”